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As you know, a major
humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding on Manus Island. Six hundred male
refugees and asylum seekers are occupying the former Regional Processing Centre
(RPC). Outside sits the PNG Defence Force, which is preventing food supplies,
purchased by well-wishers, from entering the facility. The men have been told
to move to three locations in or near the regional capital, East Lorengau. Two
of these are not ready for habitation. All three are insecure and these men
have legitimate fears for their own safety. PNG locals have demonstrated their
opposition to the move to the town in the last week with a vocal protest
outside the centre and the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Police
Commissioner, Gari Baki, stated in a media release in late October 2017 that
the safety of refugees is ‘not to be taken for granted given the tensions that
are being expressed by the locals on Manus Island’.[1][2] Paradoxically, the
former RPC, with no access to food, clean water, sanitation, electricity or
adequate medical care is currently the ‘safest’ place for these men to be.

However, the former
RPC is not safe. These men have now been without access to the fundamentals
necessary for life for over six days. In PNG’s tropical climate we must expect
that serious consequences will start to occur this week. We can expect severe
skin and respiratory infections, dysentery, malaria and other illnesses to
start to take hold. If no action is taken immediately to alleviate this
situation, we can expect deaths to start occurring very soon.

On the evening of 4th
November 2017 a man with a suspected heart attack in the former RPC sought
assistance in Lorengau Hospital. This man was discharged from the facility
without having an ECG or blood tests and returned to the former RPC. Thirty six
hours later these essential investigations still had not been performed. With
this level of medical support, it seems there is little hope for any refugee
who becomes seriously unwell on Manus Island, whether they are in the former
RPC or relocated to East Lorengau.

If the situation
deteriorates further and the PNG Defence Force decides to clear the centre then
there is a risk of many deaths through violent action. This is a military force
which has demonstrated tremendous antipathy to the refugees, which fired
indiscriminately into the RPC causing multiple injuries earlier this year and
which has no training in crowd control.[3]

This situation is a
direct consequence of the Australian government’s arbitrary, indefinite
incarceration of hundreds of innocent men in a hostile environment on a remote
island in a poor country, unequipped in all respects to look after them. It
must finally take adequate responsibility for the welfare of these men. The
duplicity of the Australian government in this matter is eye-watering. On the
one hand, the representations of Doctors for Refugees and others about the
welfare of these men are referred on by the Australian government as ‘a matter
for the PNG government’. On the other hand, we hear that Prime Minister
Turnbull has once again turned down the New Zealand government’s offer to
shelter some of these men.[4] If the Australian government can dictate what
happens to them then it is evidently responsible for their welfare and in fact
PNG Immigration Minister, Petrus Thomas, explicitly stated last week that
Australia will remain responsible for the welfare of these men when the
Australian-funded centre closes.[5] All pretence to the contrary must now stop.

Amnesty International
and the UNHCR have been condemning the detention and conditions of these men
for years and this was first termed a situation amounting to torture over two
years ago.[6] Today, things are exponentially worse and we reiterate: we are
heading for many deaths in the coming days and weeks unless urgent action is
taken by Australia. Action to alleviate these men’s situation needs to be taken
today to prevent deaths. As a start, they need food and water today.

You, as an Australian
parliamentarian, must realise that at stake are these men’s lives and
Australia’s international reputation as a Western democratic nation and that
only you hold the power to influence the situation. Whether by your action or
inaction to date it is you who is directly responsible for what is happening.
If you do not act now, by speaking, lobbying and voting appropriately then
whatever happens to these men will be on your conscience.

For the sake of
humanity and compassion we urge you to act immediately. The world is watching
you.